Play materials and social skills development in selected Pre-Schools in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district.

Abstract

The Learner centered design theory emphasizes more use of the play-way methodology in teaching and giving learners lots of opportunity to actively interact with play materials in their life skills development. Guided by this theory, this qualitative study focused on assessing how use of play materials influences the development of social skills of Preschool children. The study specifically examined the availability of play materials in preschools, how they contribute to the development of social skills of preschool children and the key skills developed. Information was provided by a total of 20 teachers who were purposively selected from 10 preschools from Nansana municipality. Data was collected using a structured interview guide and play material availability check list and analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that teachers mainly used commercially sourced play materials and faced constraints in acquiring them, since the schools were privately owned and faced financial challenges. The limited access to play materials narrowed teachers’ understanding of play materials use in social skills development to items used in entertaining children. In schools where teachers were able to make materials from locally sourced materials, their use was more effective and children participated in materials development, giving them opportunity to learn quite a lot from them. It was also revealed that, all the teachers overwhelming agreed that play materials are important in social skills development since they provide the opportunities for interaction, working together, sharing and communication which are the pillars of socials skills development. The teachers intimated that they have been able to use play materials to develop some social skills such as sharing, waiting patiently, turn taking and communication. They also revealed that, the limited materials and a more academic orientation of pre-school education in Uganda had limited the use of Play materials in development of key skills such as collaboration, cooperation and working in harmony with others. The researcher recommends that, having a variety of play materials and use of play materials be made a key requirement in pre-schools. The MOES should also support pre-schools in acquiring relevant play materials. All teachers should be regularly trained in making and effectively using play materials in social skills development. The preschool curriculum should be made more activity based to allow teachers and children the opportunity to use play materials.